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After having “had to humble” himself on the bench in Buffalo, EJ Manuel began a new chapter in his pro football career on Monday.

He signed with the Oakland Raiders. To be a backup. If all works out.

The former first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills will vie with Connor Cook, the Raiders' fourth-round pick last year, to become principal backup to established Oakland starter Derek Carr.

“I’m here to compete for the No. 2 job,” Manuel told a few reporters on a conference call Monday afternoon.

The Raiders had been in position to win the AFC West late last season before Carr, in his third year of starting, fractured his right fibula in a game on Christmas Eve. The Raiders still finished 12-4, but with Cook at the helm lost as a wild card at Houston in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Raiders are expected to field one of the NFL’s strongest teams in 2017. That, and the fact Manuel already has tight professional and personal bonds with new Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing (Downing served as Bills QBs coach in 2014) made Oakland’s offer an easy one to accept.

“Yeah, it was very appealing,” said Manuel, who started 17 games for the Bills over the 2013-15 seasons after the club selected him 16th overall in 2013. “To be able to come to a team that came off a great season, making the playoffs and things like that, I just want to be an addition.

“I’m not an ego guy and all that kind of stuff. I’m not driven by that. Obviously, as a player you’re (proud) but I’m about the team. I want the team to get better. I want to be here to help this franchise and team … in whatever role or capacity that is. That’s what I’m excited to do.”

Between three knee injuries (torn left meniscus, sprained right LCL, sprained left ligaments), Manuel started 10 games as a rookie in Buffalo, winning four. Doug Marrone, then head coach, soured on Manuel the following summer at training camp, however. The club scrambled come September to sign Kyle Orton as veteran backup insurance.

Just four games and two losses into the 2014 season, Marrone benched Manuel for Orton. Manuel started only three other games in Buffalo: twice in 2015 while Tyrod Taylor nursed a sore knee, and in last season’s meaningless finale at the New York Jets.

All told as a Bill, Manuel won six games as starter, completing just 58% of his throws for 19 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, for a poor 77.5 passer rating.

Marrone’s decision in September 2014 to bench Manuel -- after just 16 months with the club and 14 up-and-down starts -- hit the young quarterback hard.

“It was very surprising,” said Manuel, who turned 27 on Sunday. “You know, obviously being 2-2 and after losing to Houston, coach Marrone made the change and it was something I never dealt with as a competitor, as an athlete. So, it was definitely one of those things that I had to humble myself and understand that this could happen to anybody, you know what I mean?

“Of course, it wasn’t something I was excited about or happy about, but it was what it was. This is a business and if a coach makes that kind of decision then that’s what you have to deal with. You kind of just really have to dust yourself off and just keep fighting, like I said. I think it’s really put a sense of perseverance in me.

“It was obviously a turbulent time in my life, and in my career and it was only my second year. So, (I was) just like -- wow. (laughter) Sometimes young guys continue to get a chance to grow and fight through those growing pains and I just wasn’t afforded that opportunity. I just kind of had to roll with it, and just keep rolling.”

Behind the scenes at the time, upper Bills management clashed with Marrone over the Manuel benching, but ultimately supported Marrone in switching to Orton. Marrone had become strangely panicky in Year 2, both in his dealings with players privately, and with the media publicly. New owners Terry and Kim Pegula were due to take over one week after Manuel’s benching.

“Well, it was something I never really focused on, to be real with you,” Manuel said of Marrone and the internal strife. “I was more so concerned with playing. I didn’t really know the politics of the (situation in which the) coach didn’t want me to play, and management did. I didn’t have time to really be concerned ... I didn’t even know these conversations were going on.

“I knew I was the starter and I was assuming like, ‘Hey, this is my team. This is what we’re going to do,’ and obviously the chair kind of got pulled up behind me. So, it is what it is.

“But I have nothing but great things to say about management. Doug Whaley was awesome, (senior VP of football administration) Jim Overdorf was great, (president) Russ Brandon was awesome, the Pegulas have been great to me. So, I’m very, very appreciative of my time in Buffalo and my opportunities that I’ve had there -- a bunch of learning opportunities and I had some great times too.

“I think sometimes that gets lost in translation. People want to talk about the negatives so much. We had some great times there, some great wins. I’ll never forget my time in Buffalo, but I am looking forward and excited to my future here in Oakland.”

NFL

After having 'had to humble' himself in Buffalo, EJ Manuel signs in Oakland to compete for No. 2 QB job

After having “had to humble” himself on the bench in Buffalo, EJ Manuel began a new chapter in his pro football career on Monday.

He signed with the Oakland Raiders. To be a backup. If all works out.

The former first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills will vie with Connor Cook, the Raiders' fourth-round pick last year, to become principal backup to established Oakland starter Derek Carr.

“I’m here to compete for the No. 2 job,” Manuel told a few reporters on a conference call Monday afternoon.

The Raiders had been in position to win the AFC West late last season before Carr, in his third year of starting, fractured his right fibula in a game on Christmas Eve. The Raiders still finished 12-4, but with Cook at the helm lost as a wild card at Houston in the opening round of the playoffs.